Rep. Jeong: "Safety measures must be established through thorough consultation with related agencies before the law is enforced to prevent major citizen disasters in Jangji Compact City public parking lot project, Gimpo Gold Line, and Line 9 urban railway operations"
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] With the Serious Accidents Punishment Act enacted on January 26 and set to be enforced on January 27 next year, voices are being raised in Seoul, where large-scale public facilities and public transportation subject to this law are concentrated, calling for the establishment of sufficient safety management measures ahead of the law’s enforcement.
At the 299th Seoul Metropolitan Council extraordinary session held on the 25th, during the Transportation Committee’s report and inquiry on the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Urban Transportation Office, Councilor Jeong Jin-cheol (Democratic Party, Songpa 6) stated, “The Jangji Compact City public parking lot project, which includes a large-scale public parking lot under 758 units of Happy Housing, the Gimpo Gold Line consignment operation project with the worst congestion and manpower shortages raising safety accident concerns, and the operation of urban rail lines such as Line 9 all have a very high risk of serious citizen accidents.” He emphasized, “To prevent serious citizen accidents, safety management measures must be established through thorough consultations with the government and related agencies before the law is enforced.”
Councilor Jeong continued, “Residents have significant concerns about the CNG and hydrogen charging stations being constructed within the Jangji project site,” urging a reconsideration of the project and demanding sufficient consultation and communication with the residents.
In response, Hwang Bo-yeon, head of the Urban Transportation Office, stated that a thorough re-examination of the safety of the underground parking lot project is planned, and that safety management measures will be established with the cooperation of the government, related agencies, and the Seoul Metropolitan Council ahead of the enforcement of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.
As the enforcement of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, which allows for the punishment of local government heads, management officials, and public servants in the event of serious accidents such as fatalities, approaches, the Jangji Compact City public parking lot project is raising significant concerns about the risk of large-scale fires due to the presence of 758 units of Happy Housing above ground, 342 buses from three companies in the underground parking lot, CNG and hydrogen charging stations, various machinery, and flammable materials being brought in. Meanwhile, the Gimpo Gold Line, operated by Seoul Metro, a Seoul public enterprise, is predicted to see congestion rise from 185.2% this year to 214.1% by 2030 (with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s standard at 150%), increasing severe user inconvenience and accident risks.
Additionally, despite a decrease in public transportation usage due to COVID-19, congestion on Line 9 has exceeded the standard at some stations (such as Dongjak Station), reaching 155%. Consequently, the Line 9 operator received the lowest “inadequate” rating among 54 public institutions in the disaster management evaluation under the Disaster and Safety Management Basic Act conducted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety in 2020.
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